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Unemployment and school.

So, I was laid off from my job in the beginning of December and I applied for unemployment. They actually denied me my first two weeks because I was at Portland State from 9am - 2pm and apparently that would hamper my accepting of work AS A BARTENDER. I don't even remember the last time I saw an ad for a lunch bartending shift. I was able to claim during Winter break, but now that school is back in they're making me fill out a form detailing my school schedule again. Does anyone have any hints or tips as to how to continue receiving unemployment? I'm not looking for ways to scam them, and I'm definitely looking as hard as I can for work, but they expect me to be available for work from 9am - 3am as those are "bartending hours". And because I'm in school, that would void the early morning hours. Ridiculous. Help.

Esh on January 2010

"At first he thought it might be a natural occurrence - maybe a rabbit. But upon closer inspection, it was clear a knife had been used. And rabbits don't carry knives."

Part of the problem is that they don't care about bartending. They want you looking for any work. Period. Your "bartending hours" mean nothing to them. I am part of a "referral union" so I just have to keep calling into the out-of-work list, and even that is a pain in the ass with Oregon sometimes. I would call and talk to a real person, but chances are they will tell you the same. If Wal-Mart is hiring they want you working there.. so if you're only looking for a bartending job in the afternoon/evening they will deny you.

If Wal-Mart is hiring they want you working there.. so if you're only looking for a bartending job in the afternoon/evening they will deny you.

This.

Unemployment is not intended for people who can't find work because they don't have the time to do one job that they're looking to do. You have school only until 2pm? God damn right you were denied unemployment. You can work any number of jobs after 2pm.

You need to find any job while you're going to school, because you're not going to get unemployment simply because you can't find the one job you want.

If Wal-Mart is hiring they want you working there.. so if you're only looking for a bartending job in the afternoon/evening they will deny you.

This.

Unemployment is not intended for people who can't find work because they don't have the time to do one job that they're looking to do. You have school only until 2pm? God damn right you were denied unemployment. You can work any number of jobs after 2pm.

You need to find any job while you're going to school, because you're not going to get unemployment simply because you can't find the one job you want.

Actually, no. They specifically ask what fields you'll be looking into. They want to place you into a job that you're qualified for, not just any work. When I got my first letter of denial it specified (as I said in the OP) that bartending hours were between 9am-3am and that's when I should be available. I was not denied because I was only looking for one kind of work, it was because of my school hours. Maybe it works differently where you are, but that's how they run it here in Oregon. I can't even get hired for much else, my resume is two pages of bartending and that's it.

"At first he thought it might be a natural occurrence - maybe a rabbit. But upon closer inspection, it was clear a knife had been used. And rabbits don't carry knives."

If Wal-Mart is hiring they want you working there.. so if you're only looking for a bartending job in the afternoon/evening they will deny you.

This.

Unemployment is not intended for people who can't find work because they don't have the time to do one job that they're looking to do. You have school only until 2pm? God damn right you were denied unemployment. You can work any number of jobs after 2pm.

You need to find any job while you're going to school, because you're not going to get unemployment simply because you can't find the one job you want.

Actually, no. They specifically ask what fields you'll be looking into. They want to place you into a job that you're qualified for, not just any work. When I got my first letter of denial it specified (as I said in the OP) that bartending hours were between 9am-3am and that's when I should be available. I was not denied because I was only looking for one kind of work, it was because of my school hours. Maybe it works differently where you are, but that's how they run it here in Oregon. I can't even get hired for much else, my resume is two pages of bartending and that's it.

I just want to say, again, that due to the seriously huge numbers of claims in the last year, many, many, many times an appeal is required. I work in financial counseling with low and moderate income families, many of whom are on unemployment and the story is the same every time: "It's a huge hassle to be taken seriously, we had to appeal".

Actually, no. They specifically ask what fields you'll be looking into. They want to place you into a job that you're qualified for, not just any work. When I got my first letter of denial it specified (as I said in the OP) that bartending hours were between 9am-3am and that's when I should be available. I was not denied because I was only looking for one kind of work, it was because of my school hours. Maybe it works differently where you are, but that's how they run it here in Oregon. I can't even get hired for much else, my resume is two pages of bartending and that's it.

I'm just saying, you could find a job other than bartending if you tried. I'm talking Walmart, McDonald's, the mall, etc. It's not like your resume is full of paper delivery routes. You are fully qualified for a large number of jobs that would keep you out of unemployment, should you choose.

I understand the frustration you are having. I work in Oregon and have had to deal with them. My gut tells me that they are wanting you to find any work. I personally believe, and this is just my thought, that due to the amount of people filing unemployment claims, unless you are looking for any work, you'll be denied.

An appeal would not be a bad idea. The bureaucracy you are facing is unbelievable. Personal example: left a minimum wage job to go make $14/hr to start, with a raise every 6-8 months, and they said I couldn't file unemployment because I quit the minimum wage job... nevermind that we couldn't live on that, and I left that job to go work at a better paying job... after 2 weeks of fighting they said that I had a "solid job offer" and allowed my claim.

The state of Oregon does NOT want to pay you... you have to twist their arm into doing so...

Actually, no. They specifically ask what fields you'll be looking into. They want to place you into a job that you're qualified for, not just any work. When I got my first letter of denial it specified (as I said in the OP) that bartending hours were between 9am-3am and that's when I should be available. I was not denied because I was only looking for one kind of work, it was because of my school hours. Maybe it works differently where you are, but that's how they run it here in Oregon. I can't even get hired for much else, my resume is two pages of bartending and that's it.

I'm just saying, you could find a job other than bartending if you tried. I'm talking Walmart, McDonald's, the mall, etc. It's not like your resume is full of paper delivery routes. You are fully qualified for a large number of jobs that would keep you out of unemployment, should you choose.

You're not quite getting it. No place will hire me because they know I'll make a run for a bartending job as soon as I find one. I'm over qualified. Also, I haven't been asked if I've been looking for other sorts of work other than bartending. They're simply going on the fact that I'm in school and that the type of work I said I was looking for (as per their form, there was one slot to fill in, not a list) had certain working hours.

"At first he thought it might be a natural occurrence - maybe a rabbit. But upon closer inspection, it was clear a knife had been used. And rabbits don't carry knives."

You're not quite getting it. No place will hire me because they know I'll make a run for a bartending job as soon as I find one. I'm over qualified. Also, I haven't been asked if I've been looking for other sorts of work other than bartending. They're simply going on the fact that I'm in school and that the type of work I said I was looking for (as per their form, there was one slot to fill in, not a list) had certain working hours.

So you've applied to McDonald's? You've applied to your local hardware store? You've applied to restaurants as a dishwasher?

No, my guess is that you haven't. McDonald's doesn't care if you'll make a run for a bartending job the minute you find one. If you last more than a month you've probably reached their average employee's time span there.

I'm just saying you can't say you're unable to find work if you aren't exactly looking for any work. Here, if you applied for unemployment while attending school until 2 pm, you would need to be looking for any work while you were available.

I can't imagine any unemployment system would allow you to sit tight on taxpayer money while holding out for a single, solitary job position. Sure, that's what your denial might say, but they might just be pushing you to find something. I mean, that's what most people would do in your situation then. Can't find work as a bartender and unemployment won't accept me? Looks like I need to work somewhere else.

You're not quite getting it. No place will hire me because they know I'll make a run for a bartending job as soon as I find one. I'm over qualified. Also, I haven't been asked if I've been looking for other sorts of work other than bartending. They're simply going on the fact that I'm in school and that the type of work I said I was looking for (as per their form, there was one slot to fill in, not a list) had certain working hours.

So you've applied to McDonald's? You've applied to your local hardware store? You've applied to restaurants as a dishwasher?

No, my guess is that you haven't. McDonald's doesn't care if you'll make a run for a bartending job the minute you find one. If you last more than a month you've probably reached their average employee's time span there.

I'm just saying you can't say you're unable to find work if you aren't exactly looking for any work. Here, if you applied for unemployment while attending school until 2 pm, you would need to be looking for any work while you were available.

I can't imagine any unemployment system would allow you to sit tight on taxpayer money while holding out for a single, solitary job position. Sure, that's what your denial might say, but they might just be pushing you to find something. I mean, that's what most people would do in your situation then. Can't find work as a bartender and unemployment won't accept me? Looks like I need to work somewhere else.

Figgy, while your advice is solid in a "perfect system" type of way, this is a lot simpler. Case workers do not have the time, ability or motivation to poke into every hole of each one of their many, many cases.

Esh, (again) try to appeal. I see this same, basic, situation over and over. In every case it is the system attempting to disqualify people who "aren't serious". Like any government program it is the victim of scammers. Tightening up the initial review is a means by which they have combated this problem. Appeal, and you should be able to get through no issue.